Muhammad’s timely twin cannon charges keep Chester unbeaten

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PHILADELPHIA — The shutout streak was gone, and all that was left on Aasim Muhammad’s mind was survival Saturday.

For the first time this season, a stretch of more than 15 quarters, the Chester defense had been breached, via a long Bartram passing touchdown in the fourth quarter. Chester followed with a four-and-out, ending in an ill-advised fake punt with the Clippers’ offense without a first down after halftime.

That gave Bartram the ball, down 10 points but in Chester territory, with momentum and the game finely poised to be tipped.

That is, until Muhammad had his say, with back-to-back sacks, rushing off the line like he was shot out of a cannon. It stopped Bartram in its tracks, two in a long line of impact plays from a defense that, while scored-upon, was still stellar in a gritty 16-12 nonleague win at the South Philadelphia Super Site.

“I wanted to win and I was hungry,” Muhammad said. “I did not want them to score again. It was heartbreaking that they scored that first touchdown, and I just didn’t want that to happen again. So I just set the tone to keep everybody in the game and we came out with the win.”

That desire only deepened once the shutout streak, the third-longest in Pennsylvania to start 2019, ended at 8:18 of the fourth quarter. On third-and-16, Bartram quarterback Jaquan Givens chucked a deep sideline route to Eniamij Lee. The pass went through the arms of leaping safety Malachi Langley and nestled into the mitts of Lee to sprint 69 yards to paydirt.

Though that made the game 16-6, still a two-possession margin, the end of a streak that the Clippers regarded with such pride was noticeably deflating, hence the need for Muhammad’s reinvigorating stand.

“We actually thought we could go all season shutting everybody out,” Muhammad said. “But things happen. It’s football, it’s over with. They scored. We’re just happy we got the win.”

The defense saw to it. Muhammad and fellow ball-hawkers Devin Bobo and Jakai Boegertey were outstanding, while Isaiah Powell-Gates and Jaheim Golden anchored a line that held Bartram (2-2) to two rushing yards.

Chester (4-0) needed every bit of mettle it could wring from its stellar defense on a day where the offense was disjointed, to put it kindly. Chester had 80 yards in the first half, then minus-11 in the second. The Clippers didn’t get a second-half first down until five minutes remained in the game.

Quarterback Dymiere Stevenson, who threw a touchdown in the second quarter, didn’t complete a second-half pass (though he had one for a touchdown called back by penalty, one of 11 infractions). Chester coughed up three fumbles. Even its touchdown, a 22-yard hookup between Stevenson and Malachi Langley, occurred one play after a 17-yard strike to Malik Langley was wiped out by penalty.

Most alarmingly, Chester yielded just one touchdown from six trips to the red zone, including one instance where it punted on fourth-and-goal.

“We play every drive like it’s the last drive,” Bartram defensive end Karim Ferguson said. “Our defense puts out the utmost energy on every drive. … Our first mindset every time we step on the field is nothing, zero. It gets us piped up, but at the same time, we’re used to it. We don’t want them to score nothing.”

Fittingly, it took the star-studded defense to get Chester on the board. In the second quarter, senior defensive back Tahmir Reese stepped in front of a curl route and high-stepped 84 yards for the opening score.

“I love Tahmir Reese and I’m happy he scored the touchdown,” Muhammad said. “It set the momentum for everybody, it set the tone. It gave us hope and more confidence.”

That was the first of four interceptions. Darron Miller pocketed two, nearly returning one for a score before tripping at the 5.

“It was very easy, I don’t mean to brag, because they ran that play twice so I was on it,” Miller said. “No. 1 (Jibril Pollard) was the quarterback’s favorite target, he was throwing to him the whole time, so I was just spying on him and he threw it right to me.”

Rafiqe Hilliard had the fourth pick with 1:41 left, which should’ve been that. But Chester fumbled an exchange between Malik Langley and Anton Sterling, a third lost fumble, returned 20 yards by Keionne Hill. Three plays later, Givens (148 yards) found Pollard for a two-yard score, and while Malachi Langley recovered the ensuing onside kick, it was closer than it should’ve been.

And closer than a proud defense wanted it to be.

“As the old saying goes, defense wins championships,” Muhammad said. “We’ve just got to be there for the offense and not allow any points.”

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Matthew De George

Matthew De George
Matthew De George is the Asst. Sports Editor and the lead Union writer for The Daily Times.

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